Our February 2015 ebulletin is out now!
WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO?
Criminal justice since 2010
In preparation for the conference we're holding on Monday 23 March we've been busy putting the finishing touches to The Coalition Years, a special report explaining why criminal justice changes unfolded in the way they did following the 2010 General Election. We've also been completing the fourth annual UK Justice Policy Review which tracks year-on-year criminal justice and social welfare developments across the UK. Read more about it here.
Police corruption, spying and racism on film
On Friday 5 and Saturday 6 February we held a conference in conjunction with The Monitoring Group, Tottenham Rights and Imran Khan & Partners. We heard from a range of moving and inspiring speakers on police corruption, spying, racism and accountability. You can watch all the talks online and take a peek at some of the Twitter coverage. Rebecca Roberts, Senior Policy Associate, spoke at the conference. An edited version of her speech is here.
A context of harm
Check out the discussion that took place at our recent 'ethnic penalty' roundtable, where we explored the social context of the disproportionate and harmful punishment experienced by young black men.
Two birds, one anti-poverty strategy
Our Research Director Roger Grimshaw gives a summary of the discussions that took place at our roundtable event on poverty and institutional care in November. The topic will be covered in more depth in our forthcoming March issue of cjm magazine.
HAVE YOU SEEN?
Can restorative justice cut prison numbers?
William R Wood questions whether restorative practices operate as an alternative to incarceration and a means to reduce imprisonment.
I would build...
Marian Duggan has continued our 'I would build' series with a piece about building a movement to engage men in preventing violence against women and girls.
'Will the interests of profit, rather than people come first?'
Mike Guilfoyle's post this month considers the real life effects of the liberalisation of the probation service on 'Harry'.
How corrupt is Britain?
'Very' is the main conclusion! John McDonnell MP and The People's Parliament are hosting an event on Thursday 26 March in London with Professor David Whyte, to discuss the topic. Then on Friday 19 June we're hosting a conference in London in collaboration with the University of Liverpool on how to hold state and corporate institutions to account for the harms they cause. Read all about it here.
Benefit sanctions: Britain's secret penal system
In case you missed it last month, here's an article by Dr David Webster of the University of Glasgow, talking about how benefit claimants are subjected to an 'amateurish, secret penal system which is more severe than the mainstream judicial system'. It has been shared widely on social media and continues to be our most read comment piece of 2015.
British Journal of Criminology
It might still be February, but the March issue of the British Journal of Criminology is already available. A free virtual issue, based around the theme 'Employing and constraining power: international perspectives on police and policing', is also available. Click here to find out more.
Top of the pops
Publishers Taylor & Francis have made the most popular criminology and law articles from 2014 available to view for free. See which of our cjm articles made it up there.
COMING SOON
What are the alternatives to prison?
This event on Tuesday 21 April will consider radical alternatives to imprisonment. Participants will discuss opportunities for developing policy and practice so that imprisonment is no longer required.
Justice matters for women: Time for action!
Following our call to action to 'Empower women, resist injustice and transform lives', we are hosting a one-day event with Women in Prison on Wednesday 20 May to foster collective action to challenge criminal justice failure and build socially just alternatives.
Challenging state and corporate impunity: is accountability possible?
The Centre and the University of Liverpool are hosting a conference on Friday 19 June to bring people together from a range of organisations to discuss how to hold state and corporate institutions to account. Places are limited, so book now to avoid disappointment.
An insider perspective
Look out for our new publication, based on events we conducted last year in HMP Grendon and HMP Barlinnie, as part of the European Prison Observatory project. The full report, written by Abigail Amey and Zoe Ellis, will be published on our website soon.
IN THE NEWS.......
Tasers under fire
Questions were raised this month about the suitability and safety of Tasers, amid calls from the Police Federation that all uniformed police officers be supplied with them.
Mental distress
A report by the Home Affairs Select Committee has called for an end to the detention in police cells of people sectioned under the Mental Health Act, BBC News reports.
A conflict of interest?
Earlier this month PoliticsHome reported Paul McDowell's resignation as Chief Inspector of Probation in England and Wales after a long conflict of interest dispute over his wife's role as senior manager at Sodexo.
The penny's dropped
This month Theresa May announced a review of the welfare of immigration detainees in the UK, The Guardian reports.
Greek minister's shame at immigration detention
Newly-appointed minister for public order, Yannis Panousis, has expressed his 'shame as a human being' at the conditions of detention of immigration detainees in Greece, Daniel Trilling reports in the London Review of Books.
Femicide census
This month, anti-violence charity nia, in collaboration with Women's Aid, launched a database on the women who have been killed by men, the men who killed them, and the fatal incident itself. Read more about it here.
NUMBERS OF THE MONTH
1,400,000 The number of women who experienced domestic abuse last year, according to ONS figures.
1,122,526 The number of sanctions imposed on benefit claimants by the Department for Work and Pensions in Great Britian in 2013.
1,100 The number of customers suspected of hiding money from HMRC in the Swiss arm of HSBC between 2005 and 2007 according to data leaked by Herve Falciani.
1 The number of prosecutions by HMRC of people suspected of hiding money from the UK taxman in the Swiss arm of HSBC between 2005 and 2007.
QUOTES OF THE MONTH
From the recent Police corruption, spying, racism and accountability conference:
'One of the key things I want to emphasise... is the importance of not letting [state and corporate spying] destroy our trust in each other, because the purpose of these agents is to undermine and control dissent in order to preserve the status quo. So it's important we don't do their job for them by failing to trust each other anymore'. Helen Steel speaking about her experiences of an intimate relationship with an undercover police officer.
'This isn't just about the police, it's about the system, it's about society'. Stafford Scott, Tottenham Rights, talking about police corruption, racism and spying.
If you have been forwarded a copy of this ebulletin and would like to subscribe directly, register your details.
This bulletin was compiled and edited by Matt Ford and Rebecca Roberts. We are always keen to hear from our readers. For comments and feedback email matt.ford@crimeandjustice.org.uk.